ProMED-mail | MEASLES UPDATE 2012 (22)

ProMED Mail is possibly THE premier infectious disease updating service in the world today, having sprung to fame during the Kikwit Ebola outbreak in 1995. This is one of a series of posts on measles, which is documenting a very disturbing trend: the incidence of the disease is increasing in places where it should have been eradicated, because well-educated and sophisticated communities are not vaccinating their children – or themselves.

One very telling quote from the post:

“Measles is highly infectious so we must all doeverything possible to prevent the spread of it, particularly with an outbreak on our doorstep. … MMR vaccination is the only way to preventmeasles. If parents haven’t arranged for their children to be vaccinated – it’s not too late to have the jab. Parents don’t realise that measles is not just a case of a few spots – it can be a very serious illness. Symptoms include fever, cough, soreness of the eyes and a rash which spreads rapidly over the body. Serious complications affect one in 15 children. These include chest infections, fits, encephalitis (swelling of the brain), and brain damage. In very serious cases, measles can kill.”